For 40 Days – Day 38: I Send You: Concepts

Key Episode Scripture: Luke 24 and Acts 1-2

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.  (Acts 1:8 ESVUK)

The Father desired a family. The Son was sent to establish the brethren. The Spirit was sent to seal all those in the family. The Spirit bore witness to the Son, who fulfilled all to the glory of the Father so that the family who emerged would be grounded in faith, grace, and love, desirous of carrying on the mission, message, and ministry of the family as members of it.

Luke wrote about these developments in an initial outline to Theophilus and then followed that up with a sequel to outline how that early church went about its work. The transitional period of the last of the first account and the start of the second account have the central parts to remind believers why they believe and what that means for what we do. We are looking at the pivotal use of Jesus’ time after His resurrection and before His ascension – said to be 40 days. This episode’s context was explored, and previously, we outlined the content from the resurrection to the first significant public act after His ascension. There is much that can be said about these few chapters. Others have written books and spent weeks, months and years preaching and teaching on the treasure trove discovered in these few chapters. I offer a glance at some underlying concepts that help us understand what’s happening in this episode.

The Father’s Word Fulfilled

Moses, the prophets and the Psalms spoke. This is integral to what Luke records at the end of his gospel account, and it’s repeated in the first two chapters of his second epistle to Theophilus. All these that hinted at Jesus were expressed by men as inspired by the Father. In his Pentecost proclamation, Peter essentially refers to the Psalms as having prophetic weight. The importance of Moses, prophets, and Psalms being carriers of the Word of God gives us the trail that Jesus highlights. This is why it’s very important to consider carefully how the trail goes from the Garden of Eden all the way to the empty tomb. Indeed, that trail goes further because it explains why a collection of people – some known to have come from Galilee – are waiting in an upper room in Jerusalem and can declare God’s wonderful works in different languages.

The Word of the Father expressed through many is now fulfilled in the Son. It’s not just for us to study what the Father said but to do so with the eyes of understanding. Cleopas and his walking buddy needed an enlightening and heart-warming interaction with the Father’s heart through the Son. Even the apostles and others who had been with Him for three and a half years still needed enlightening and enriching insights into the Father’s heart through the Son. The promised gift is essential in this task to see what the apostles and other followers could see. It’s why the community committed themselves to what the apostles taught; this came from those who learnt from the one who opened their understanding.

The Centrality of the Son’s Accomplished Mission

The Father’s word fulfilled, and the promise of the gift is centrally linked to the revelation of Jesus as the Messiah and Lord. It cannot be underestimated how supreme and central knowing Jesus is. The rule of God was expressed through His activities before His crucifixion. Now, after it, He is keen to ensure that His followers understand not only how He fulfils the word of His Father but also the consequences of that for how people are ruled and operate under the rule of the King.

This process must involve the complete package – His ministry, suffering, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, pouring of the promise, and return. As He opened the understanding of His followers to see how He fulfilled them, it was crucial for them, in the power of the Spirit, to carry on the mission and ensure the message was delivered in full. When people received this news, they could then understand how the invitation in repentance involved them becoming a part of a community that lives under the rule of the King and is enabled and equipped to live out the mission of the King.

The beauty and wonder of the risen Lord are how He opened the eyes of those who saw Him to truly believe Him for who He was. He knew that ongoing faith in His name and commitment to Him and His community was the route to being saved from a corrupt generation. Those who followed Him had no problem pointing to the centrality of Him and His accomplished mission as the key to receiving the essential gift of life.

The Promise is the Gift of the Holy Spirit

The King rose to be at the right hand of the Father. As He took His place, He was able to trigger the wonderful outpouring of the gift, fulfilling the promise of the Father. As He accomplished His mission by the Spirit, He knew it was always a part of the plan that those who became members would be marked and noted by the indwelling presence of the Promise, not just on an individual basis but in the community.

The exciting Pentecost experience was not just one experienced by the 12 apostles. All in the upper room were filled and able to follow in the line of prophets before them by prophesying about the goodness of God. That Spirit wasn’t just about confident and fluent expression of words; it was also about generous, sacrificial giving for the benefit of the community. It’s why there was joy in their hearts as they regularly met. It was why they committed to life together, to follow the steps of the Saviour. Enabled, empowered and equipped to honour, serve and love as the Father loved the Son and the Son loved the disciples. That love wasn’t just about keeping a close huddle; it was about observing how God did the work of adding to the community as each played their part by the power of the Spirit.

The Community of Grace: Church Life

We believe the Father sent His Son, and the Father’s promise was sent with the Son. We believe the promise from the Father and Son generates a community of grace. It was generated by people hearing the good news of the Kingdom and then being taught about that Kingdom so they would carry out the rule of the Kingdom and carry on the mission of the Kingdom.

The events of the early church after Pentecost may not always be a reality for believers, but they indicate the hallmarks of the community of grace – hallmarks worth pursuing in the leading of the Spirit so that the community can reflect what matters to God in declaring the rule of the Lord Jesus. Hallmarks include the centrality of Jesus, the importance of meals and fellowship, the immersion into the community by baptism, the dedication to learning, applying and passing on the crucial values of the Kingdom, and a great desire to see the welfare of others in the community.

There is an individual element to faith in the Son. That, however, is part of a family, a collective, a community of saints delighted and relieved to have their sins forgiven, delighted and overjoyed to be a part of fulfilling the eternal purposes of God. Before the gift was poured out, there were hints of how those who had witnessed the Risen Lord committed to devoting their time to prayer. The explosion after Pentecost was the foundation for the movement that is set to run until the promised return of the King.

Next, we will conclude what we gain from exploring what Jesus means when He says, “I Send You ….

For His Name’s Sake

C. L. J. Dryden

Shalom